Toy electric-railway control device



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,534

A. H. GILL TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 14, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I J T Q R n F%\ 5 i E X P M J 1/ W Dec. 25, 1928.1,696,534

A. H. GILL TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 14, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Afghan W a; W,

l j? 4 i I l f i -51 4 H15 x I f i w a? 3 4 8 fi/znn JK' oa .35 positiveside thereof.

. AARON i. er'tn or wnszr HAVEN, connnc'rrcn'r.

' an ELECTRIC-RAILWAY con'raor. imvrcn- Application area July 14,

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a toy electric-railway control-systemconstructed in accordance with my invention; I Fig. 2 is'a view in frontelevation of the 15 electrically-operated semaphore signal tower,

- the train-control switch thereof being shown in its circuit-closingposition;

Fig. 3 is a view in edge elevation of the ramp-switch; Fig. 4 is a topor Fig. 5.is a transverse sectional view on-the line 5 5 of Fig. 45 and,in addition, indi-- cating the contact-shoe of an electric engine bybroken lines. I 15 This invention relates to an improvement in toys, andparticularly toy electric-railway control-devices.v The obj tion is toprovide a control-device by means of which one toy train may beautomatically at stopped or started bythe movement of an-. other trainpast a given point.

My invention consists "in a toy electricrailway control-system havingcertain details of construction and combinations of 25 parts as will behereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the embodiment of my invention herein J shown, the usual t rec-railtrack iseinployed, consisting of dutside rails -+1O and a .80 third? orpower-rail 11, arranged in the form of a return loop.. Preferably, therails 10 10 are connected to the negative side 0 a the source ofelectrical energy, such" as a battery 12, while the rail 11 is connectedtothe plan At any suitable point I insert in the track a section havinga third rail 13 insulated from the main othirdfrail 11 and connecte bywires 14 and. 1l? to one contact 15 of a 40 train-control switch 16, thecomplementary contact 17 of which is connected to the positive side ofthe battery 12 by means of wires 18 and 18*. The contacts 15 and 17 areadapted to be electrically connected by 45 means of a metal ring 19insulated from and carried by a semaphore-operatihg rod 20, which isconnected at itsupper end to an oscillating semaphore-arm 21 pivoted, asat v 22, to a vertical standard 23 projecting up- 60 ward from a base24. At its lower end the semaphore-operating rod carries an armature 25moving axially within a circuit-chos- 3 ing solenoid 26 and a circuitbreaking solenoid 27. One terminal of each of the sole- 55 noid's 26 and27 is connected by wires 28 an v 28 to the negative side ofthe battery12.

view thereof; and" ect of this inven-l 1926. sum in; 1232,3155.

Tss PATE T orrlc For the. purpose of'energi'zing the solenoids 26 and27. and thus operating the .semat 01 switch 16 as re phore 21 andtrain-cop r guired, I employ wha I shall, for conven -switches 29 and30,.

lence, designate as ramp located between the rails 10 and over the.

third rail 11, the ramp -switch '29 being connectedby wires 31 and31*--to.the circuit-' closing solenoid 26, while the ramp-switch isconnected to the circuit-breaking solenoid 27 bywires 32 and 32 Each ofthe corresponding ramp-switches 29 and 30 consists ofa ryingon oppositesides of its'longitudinal frame-plate 33 carcenter two bars 34'and 35 ofinsulating maltwo bars the frameterial. Between these form alongitudinal plate 33. is folded to channel 36 adapting the ramp-switchas a whole to be set between the rails 1010 a"nd over the third rail 11,asclearly shown in Fig. 5. Integral or, connected with the frame-plate33 is'a contact-strip on top of the bar 35. Similarly located on the bar34 is a complementary contact-stri 38 provided at one end with abinding- 0st 39 to which circuit-wires may be attac ed. As thusconstructed, the ramp-switches. are adapted to have the contact-shoe 40of the .toy electric engine (shown by broken lines in Fig. 5) close theelectric gap between the contact-strips 37 1' over the ramp-switch, andthus closes tlzig circuit through either of the solenoids or 27,depending upon which of the two ramp-switches 29 and 30 is engaged bythe engine contact-shoe. I

- -Having fully described.

its mode of operation. p For convenience of description, it may bepresumed that there are two toy trains op erating on the. track-systemshown in Fig. 1, and that the track-switch is appropriately set topermit a train to travel in the direction indicated by the arrows, andthatoneengine A is at restwith its contact-shoe 1O inengagement with-theinsulating third rail section'133 which at this time is uncharged, owingto the fact that the train-control switch 16 is in its circuit-breakingposition, and furtherv that a second engine B is moving as indicated bythe arrows. As the electric engine ramp-switch 29, its shoe 4.0 willclose the cirthereof, and thus cause a current to flow 37 located and 38as the engine passes the nature of my d invention," I shall now proceedto describe .J l I B asses over the d cuit' between the contact-strips37 and 3.8

by, when the engine B section 13 to from the third rail 11 through thewires 31 and 81, thence through the circuit-closing solenoid 26. wires28 and 28, whereby the said solenoid 26 is energized, with the eiiect oflifting the armature 25 and hence throw ing the semaphore-arm 21 intoits depressed position and bringing the ring 19 in position to connectthe complementary contacts 15 and 17 and thus complete a circuit fromthe battery 12 to the third rail section 13, which will now becomeenergized and cause the electric train A stalled thcreover to start upand move out o't the looped part of the rail system. As this train Amoves forward its shoe 10 will bridge the gap between the contact-strips37 and 38 of the ramp-switch 30, thus causing a current to low from thethird rail 11 through wires 32, 32, circuitopening solenoid 27, wires28- and 28 ith the efiect of energizing the said circuit-open- This willresult in a downing solenoid 27.

ward draft upon the armature and cause the semaphore-arm 21 to more intoits danger-indicating position and, at the same time, cause the ring 19of the train-control switch 16 to move out of engagement with thecomplementary contacts 15 and 17 and thus break the circuitthercthrough. The breaking of the circuit as just described Willde-energize the third-rail section 13, wherereaches the said thirdrailsection now de-energized, it will fail to receive any current and hencecome to a stop over it. The train B will remain at rest until anotherengine again passes over the ramp-switch 29, so as to cause thethird-rail again be energized.

It will be understood that the number and relative positions of theramp-switches may be varied and that the track arrangement forms no partof my invention.

It will also be understood that by the use of the term, solenoid hereinI wish to include all variations of electro-magnets.

I claim: v

1. A toy electric-railway control-device, comprising a visualindicating-signal; a standard therefor; a solenoid for moving saidsignal into its danger-indicating position; a second solenoid for movingthe said signal into its clear-track-indicating position and arrangedaxially in line with the first-mentioned solenoid; an armature axiallyarsaid signal into its ranged within and extending between both of saidsolenoids; a signal operating rod axially in line with and forming anextension of said armature; a movable switch-member connected to thesaid armature for operation thereby; and a coniplementary stationary switell-member carried by the said standard; whereby a train-controlcircuit may be made or broken concurrently with the operation of saidvisual indicating-signal.

2. A toy electric-railway control-device, comprising a pivotalsemaphore-arm; a standard therefor; a solenoid for moving saidsemaphore-arm into its danger-indicating position; a second solenoid formoving the said sei aphorc-arm into its clear-track indicating positionand arranged axially in line with the first-mentioned solenoid; anarmature axially *arranged within and extending between both of saidsolenoids; a seinaphore-operating rod axially in line with and formingextension of said armature; a movable switch-member connected to thesaid armature for operation thereby; and a complementary stationaryswitch-member carried by the said standard; whereby a traincontrolcircuit may be made or broken concurrently with the operation of thesaid semaphore-arm.

3. A toy electric-railway control-device, comprising a visualindicatingsignal; a standard therefor; a solenoid for movingdanger-indicating position; a second solenoid for moving signal into itsclear-track-indicating position and arranged axially in line with thefirstmentioned solenoid; an armature axially arranged within andextending-between both of said solenoids; a signal-operating rod axiallyin line with'and' forming an extension' of said armature; astationary'switchmember carried by said standard; a movableswitch-member having sliding engagement With the said stationaryswitch-member and arranged axlally in line'wit-h and connected tothe'said armature for operation thereby; whereby a train-control circuitmay be made or brokenconcurrentlywith the operation of said visualindicating-signal.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

AARON H. GILL.

the said

